Apparatus for handling pipe



March 2 1934- J. A. HARDCASTLE APPARATUS FOR HANDLING PIPE Filed April 9, 1932 2 Sheets-Sheet l A n f March 20, 1934. J A. HARDCASTLE 1,951,407

APPARATUS FOR HANDLING PIPE Patented Mar. 20, 1934 'oFFI E APPARATUS FOR HANDLING PIPE Jasper A. Hardcastle, Angieton, Tex., assignor of one-half to R. L. Waxler, Houston, Tex.

Application April 9, 1932, Serial No. 604,254

4' Claims.

This invention relates to apparatus for handling pipe.

An object of the invention is to provide apparatus of the character described specially designed for handling and adjusting pipe ina well preparatory to t .e bringing in of the well.

When a well is completed a liner is usually set in the bore beneath the casing and this liner is usually composed wholly or partly of perforated pipe or screen and has a back pressure valve at its lower end. The upper end oi the liner also usually carries a packer which may be set to form a fluid tight seal between the upper end of the liner and the casing, or other wall of the bore. The string by means of which the liner is set carries a setting tool by means of which the packer may be expanded and set and associated with said string there is a wash pipe through which a washing fluid may be conducted down through the screen and back pressure valve thereof and back up about the screen to wash the screen. The present invention embodies means for handling the wash pipe after the screen has been washed and the well is ready to be brought in.

Another object is to provide apparatus for withdrawing the wash pipe up into the setting string of pipe after the screen has been washed either before or after the packer has been set. Another object is to provide an apparatus of the character described whereby the wash pipe may be withdrawn up into and. retained in the setting string to form a flow line through which .the oil may flow from the well.

With the above and other objects in view this invention has particular relation to certain novel features of construction, operation and arrangement of parts an example of which is given in .this specification and illustrated in the accompanying drawings, wherein:-

Figure 1 shows a side elevation of the apparatus, shown in its relation to the setting tool.

Figure 2 shows a side view, partly in section, .of the packer for forming a seal between the 5 liner, or screen, and the walls of the well bore.

Figure 3 shows a vertical sectional view of the screen showing the wash pipe therein.

Figure 4 shows an enlarged vertical sectional view of the upper end of the apparatus.

Figure 5 shows an enlarged vertical sectional view of the lower end thereof, and

Figure 6 shows a sectional view taken on the line 66 of Figure 5.

. Referring now more particularly to the drawings wherein like numerals of reference designate similar parts in each of the figures the numeral 1 designates an outer casing in a well bore and the numeral 2 designates the liner which extends beneath the casing down into the pay 'sand. and one or more joints of this liner may be perforated forming a screen at the lower end of which there is a set shoe 3 containing the downwardly opening back pressure valve 4. Attached to he upper end of the liner there is a tubular packer support 5 on which the expansible packer G is mounted and upstanding from the packer support there is the tubular setting nipple '7. The packer "6 is located withinthe lower end of the casing 1 and when it is desired to expand and set said packer the setting nipple 7 may be forced downwardly in a manner hereinafter explained to effect the expansion of the packer and the spring dogs 8 on the packer collar will engage the ratchet teeth 9 on the upper end of the support and hold the packer expanded.

Any conventional type of packer and setting tool may be employed as the packerrand setting tool form no part of the present invention. That type of packer and setting tool illustrated herein is shown in PatentNo. 1,527,209 issued February 24, 1925, and a further description of the con-- struction and method of operation thereof is not deemed necessary.

The numeral 10 designates the setting string of pipe which will usually be the ordinary drill stem. Attached to the lower end of the stem 10 there is a coupling 11 connected to which there is a housing 12 whose lower end is formed with the internal downwardly converging slip seat 13 wherein the slips 14' are mounted. A coil spring 15 is seated on the upper ends of the slips 14 and the upper end of this spring bears against the gland 16 which is screwed into the lower end of the coupling 11. The slips 14 support the wash pipe 17 which extends on down through the screen and whose lower end may be seated on the back pressure valve seat in the lower end of the screen. The coupling 11 is bored out as at 18 to receive the packing 19. This packing is preferably formed of rubber and is tubular in shape and its upper and lower ends are reinforced by reinforcing rings 20, 21, embedded therein. The upper end of the packing abuts the internal annular shoulder. 22 in the coupling 11 and the packing is retained in place by the annular gland 16 which is screwed into the lower end of the coupling 11. This packing has its intermediate portion contracted inwardly so as to fit closely about the wash pipe to the end that the washing fluid forced down through the stem 10 will be caused to enter the upper end of the wash pipe andwill pass on down through the wash pipe past the back pressure valve a and returnup around the screen to wash the same.

There is a lower housing 23 which is attached to the lower end of the coupling 24 and secured in the lower end of the housing 23 there is a connectingnipple 25 whose upper end is flared forming a slip seat 26 whereon the slips 27 are mounted and a coil spring 28 is seated on the tive longitudinal movement.

- the packer.

slips 27 and its upper end rests against the lower end of the coupling 24. Connected to the lower end of the housing 12 and to the coupling 24 respectively are, the telescoping tubular sections 29, respectively, the latter telescoping within the former and the outer section 29 has the vertical slots 31, 31 whose upper ends 32 are correspondingly turned and fastened to the inner section 30 are the studs 33 which work through the slots 31. An elongated coupling member 34 is connected to the nipple 25 by means of a collar 35 and connected to the lower end of the coupling 34 is the tubular mandrel 36 which works through the expansible sleeve 37. The lower end of this sleeve carries the expansible bushing 38 threaded into the upper end of the packer support 5.

' 'When it is desired to set the screen the liner 2'may be attached to the support 5 with the packer assembled thereon and the wash pipe 1'7 assembled within the pipe handling apparatus disclosed in .Figures 4 and 5 and connected to the coupling 24 and the complete apparatus as thus assembled may then be connected to the operating string and lowered into the well with i the lower end of the wash pipe 1'7 seated on the seat of the back pressure valve 4. ,When the screen is set a washing fluid may be forced down through the string 10 and this washing fluid will be blocked by the packer 19 and forced to 1 pass on down through the wash pipe and out past the back pressure valve 4 and thence up about the screen to wash it clean. The mandrel 36 may then be released or screwed out of the sleeve 37 in the manner fully described in said Patent Nos 1,527,209 and the string may then be lowered until the collar 35 lands on the setting nipple '7 and the weight of the string above on said nipple will expand the packer 6 to form a seal between the upper end of the liner 2 and the casing 1 as hereinabove explained.

Duringthe carrying on of the operations hereinabove described the studs 33 are in the laterally turned upper ends of the slots 31, and serve to lock the tubular sections 29, 30 against rela- Under certain conditions it is desirable to lift or elevate the wash pipe. In order to accomplish this the string 10 may be turned slightly to the left, to unseat the studs 33 from the overturned -ends 32 from the slots 31 and the string may then be elevated and as it is elevated, the slips l4 will engage the wash pipe and lift it and the slips 2'7 will release said pipe. When the string has been elevated until the lower ends of the slots 31 reach the studs 33 the string 10 may be downwardly for another hold and the string l0 may then again be moved upwardly as before, the slips 14 engaging and elevating the wash pipe and the slips 27 releasing said wash pipe to permit its upward movement and this operation may be'continued until the wash pipe is lifted up above The string of pipe with the wash pipe therein and the setting tool may, at the proper time, be withdrawn from the well if desired or the string and wash pipe left in the well, said, wash pipe forming a restricted flow line through which the fluid may flow on its way to the ground surface.

If desired after the well is washed and before the packer is set the wash pipe may be withplained and the packer then set and the string and wash pipe and setting tool then withdrawn or left in the well as the circumstances of the case is desired.

1 Only one illustration of the apparatus has been shown and described and one method of its use has been explained, but it is to be understood that the invention is not to be limited to the specific form shown and described or to the particular purpose explained, but various modifications in the structure may be readily made as is apparent and the apparatus is capable of use generally for handling pipe in well bores as will be obvious.

What I claim is:

1. Pipe handling apparatus for use in. Wells and comprising an operating string, an upper pipe engaging device atttached to the string and shaped to surround and engage a. pipe therein and upon upward movement thereof to elevate said pipe, a lower pipe engaging device supported in the well and shaped to surround and engage said pipe and to hold said pipe when so elevated, means connecting said pipe engaging devices and relatively movable to allow a reciprocatory movement of the upper engaging device relative to the lower engaging device and operable into a po' sition to lock said devices against relative movement.

2. Pipe handling apparatus for use in wells and comprising an operating string, an upper pipe engaging device attached to. said stringv and shaped to engage a pipe therein upon upward movement of said device and to release said pipe upon the downward movement of said device, a. lower pipe engaging device supported in the well and adapted to engage and support a pipe therein and to release the pipe upon upward movement of the pipe therethrough and meansconnecting said engaging devices formed to permit their rela-' tive movement toward and from each other, said connecting means being provided with parts shiftable into interlocking relation to prevent such relative movement. 7

3. Apparatus adapted to'be lowered into a well and comprising upper and lower pipe engaging the engaged pipe to be elevated, means connecting said devices to prevent their complete separation andformed to permit the reciprocation of the upper device relative to the lower device to efiect the elevation of the engaged'pipe, said;

connecting means beingformed to be interlocked to prevent such reciprocatory movement to prevent the premature shifting of the engaged pipe, and an operating string of pipe for manipulating the upper device.

4. Apparatus of the character described shaped to be lowered into a well, comprising upper and lower pipe engaging devices, relatively adjustable members connecting said devices and formed to permit the reciprocation of the upper device relative to the lower device, said'connecting members being formed to-be interlocked'toprevent their complete separation and prevent such reoiprocatory movement, and an operating string of pipe for manipulating the upper device, each pipe engaging device embodying pipe engaging means arranged to alternately engage the pipe held thereby as the operating string is manipulated. JASPER HARDCASTLE. 

